The Strongest of Them All
by Ca3lus
Summary: An enigmatic scroll is discovered, telling of a story that few alive know: super ayashi with strength and ferocity not measurable will descend and ravage the planet with their insatiable appetites, and will cause a war between humans and ayashi alike! To stop the godly ayashi from wreaking havoc as they did in the past, only the strongest are being assembled...
1. Peace Interrupted

Far away from the lush land of Japan of cherry trees and otakus, to the west in the hot and arid land of Africa, an unearthing is made.

It happens in deep in a hot and dusty cave, the once loud excavation tools falling silent as the man operating it flips the power. Another figure leans over and takes out a small brush, dusting away the object that had shown itself.

_Wooh wooh wooh wooh wooh wooh_ goes the brush, revealing the item to be a small black box.

A small smile forms on the figures face, a strand of raven black hair falling forward. Brushing it out of its face, the figure straightens its back and steps back.

The attire is that of a British safari explorer, tan helmet, tan buttoned shirt, tan shorts held up by a black buckle, ankle high tan socks, and thick hiking boots. Custom made as well.

A staff is pulled out, is pointed at the box, and a eerie chant fills the air. Behind the figure, the man fidgets. He's heard of people like the figure standing in front of him. They were different, almost like they weren't human.

Growing up as a kid, rumors of powerful men and women roaming the country with strange powers were a norm. Once in a while, someone would claim to see people with horns and fangs, wings and tentacles. It was a real to them as it could be, several people had nasty encounters with them. The local authorities were of no help, just laughing at the stories, calling them fantasies made up by drunks.

He himself had not gotten any scars from anything out of the ordinary, but he was always cautious, always ready.

His attention sharpens on the figure again, the chanting getting louder and seemingly more powerful. A strange glow emanates from the orb centered in the middle of the staff, and a beam shoots out to the box. All remaining dust is blown off, and a cracking sound splits through the air as the mysterious box separates from the rock.

The man flinches, sweat spraying from his soaked face. He wipes his face hastily.

A rock tumbles from behind him, and he turns around to meet a large fist. The man collapses on the spot, mumbling about beasts. His body is hoisted up onto the shoulder of a large man, who speaks to the figure swathed in purple energy.

"So? Is it the box that we're looking for?" A gravelly voice catches the attention of the figure enough to get a side look. Powerfully built and tall, the man offers an air of intimidation to those that don't know him.

"Yes it is, Exorcist will be pleased it went smoothly. And was it really necessary to punch him that hard?" A soft and light feminine voice answers back, violet eyes giving the man a disapproving look.

"Heh, I was hired to make sure no one remembers anything, remember? I know what I'm doing, most of the time. These humans are so weak that sometimes I misjudge my power," he flexes his large arms, showing off large amounts of muscle, "and yeah, skulls are cracked. But it's all for the greater good, am I right?" He approaches the figure, hoping to see what all the fuss was about.

A sigh escapes the figure, and its attention returns to the floating box. On closer inspection, the box was made of a substance similar to obsidian, a striking reflection of the dirty cave seen on the surface. About three feet long and a foot wide, neither of them knew exactly what was inside. They weren't give much information at all, in fact. All they knew was that the two of them had to find the box and seize it secrets at all costs.

A black triangle lies on top, and the figure nudges a little energy into a hole in it. The container rocks for a moment, suspended in the air.

The lock could not be opened by brute force, or a physical key. A direct feed of youki in a special synchronization was required, and the figure guessed that one attempt was allowed. Who knows how long it could be before it opened. It might be too late, so it had to be correct, no mistakes could be allowed.

A tense air fills the area, sparks coming off from stream of youki.

A set of runs float out, archaic figures dancing in the air, a means of a second password. The figure sets forward and taps certain runes in a specific order with her staff, earning a rapid spinning of the rune circles. They glow for a moment, and then fade away into the box.

A _Clink_ and a _Pop!_ come from the inside of the box, and the top pops open. The figure releases the youki, and catches the box neatly. The figure fumbles with it, expecting it to be a little lighter, but regains control. It sets it on the ground and slowly lifts the black lid, the man joining the side of the figure, and dumps the body of the machine operator ungraciously on the ground.

They peer inside, and a single scroll lies there along with a gold spike topped with a stone. The spike catches the attention, as the stone is a swirl of colors, never staying the same. About the length of the box, the man lifts out the spike carefully and wraps it in a cloth, placing it into a larger leather parcel.

The figure beside the man breaks the seal on the scroll, and scans it rapidly, violet eyes quickly going back and forth.

The figure stiffens, and the man peers over the shoulder to see what was wrong. His jaw drops and he swears.

"No...this has to be a mistake." The man breathes, disbelief forming as he read the script.

"That's not even the worst part, look down." The figure said, pointing with a black painted nail to depictions.

The man sucks in a breath, then a guttural growl.

Eyes narrowed and a chill set deep in its bones, the figure quickly packs the scroll into another leather case, and stares at the box.

Judging from the writing, the scroll was ascribed over three thousand years ago, the text describing the prophecy of something terrible soon to happen. The information...no one but them and the Exorcist could know, at least for now.

The man clears his throat, then rubs his eyes.

"Damn, I was hoping to get home to the kids and wife as well this weekend." He says, standing up from his kneeling position and rubbing his head.

A weak chuckle escapes the figure, her previous happiness at finding the box replaced with a dread she had never felt before.

"This will affect everyone, not just ayashi. History will see this as either the coming together of two races, or the destruction of the world." Violet eyes locked with grey ones, and an understanding was made. The rest of their trip was to be cut short, this was too important.

The Headmaster's Aide looked up at the ceiling, wondering what the moods of the ayashi were when they placed the box here in the first place.

When they had head the prophecy.

That death was coming, in several forms.

"Oh, that's a nice outfit by the way. Where'd you get it?"

TWO WEEKS LATER

"Ahhh! I swear, working in the Newspaper club hasn't gotten any easier since we first applied!" Kurumu exclaims, stretching with a _mmmm_ at the table where everyone was working. "The only thing that's changed for me is the pace that graduation day is coming. Meanwhile the amount of newspaper articles we have to do is criminal!"

Moka glances up at the stressed succubus with a tired smile. "I know what you mean Kurumu. These past few months have been slipping through our fingers like sand. It's hard to believe we'll be graduating soon, going to get real jobs and living..."

A silence hangs in the air after that, a sense of apprehension of the events that will occur after that. The girl (or girls) who Tsukune was chosen to be with him for the rest of their lives was present on everyone's mind.

Save for one.

"Ah, quit getting all soft onee-sama." A scowl forms on the young sister of Moka, Kokoa. "Guessing from my past time with Tsukune, he'll fail at every job when he graduates and become something fitting. Like a male stripper." She said after some thought.

Tsukune grins at Kokoa and laughs, saying "Thanks Kokoa, you're always so optimistic for me." Kokoa sticks out her tongue, and resumes on adding glitter to a bat on a poster. Her live one squeaks from his perch on her head, and nustles more into the fiery hair of the vampire.

Everyone soon returns to their respective work, when Kurumu stops yet again and asks Yukari "So where is Ruby? She kinda disappeared with the usual 'So many things have happened...and I have to do run an errand for the Headmaster. Sorry Tsukune, you can torture me in private when I get back." She scoffs at Ruby's openness with Tsukune.

Yukari snorts, and replies with "An errand? If going to Africa in search of an artifact is an errand, count me surprised, desu!"

Everyone stops working and stares at Yukari, who doesn't notice and continues with the arrangement of columns. She looks up and sees everyone's gazes.

"What? Do I have something on my face?"

Moka frowns, and asks the question in everyone's mind. "Why is Ruby in Africa?"

It's Yukari's turn to frown, and she says "Like I said, Headmaster asked Ruby to find some artifact in the middle of Africa. What's so difficult to understand? She's the Headmaster's Aide, so he sends her to do stuff like this. Though Africa is a bit of a stretch, desu."

A snicker is heard from below the desks, and Kurumu snidely says "What's so funny, stalker?"

The snickering stops, and Mizore replies "I bet Ruby made an outfit and everything for it. I can just see her in some ridiculous costume getting chased by ostriches."

"That's Australia you're thinking of." Yukari corrects, waving her pink wand.

"Whatever, but I bet my future prospects with Tsukune that an outfit was made for the occasion."

Everyone considers this, and silently agrees.

_Scritch scritch scritch_

_Scritch scritch scritch_

_Scritch scritch scritch_

The bell rings, and everyone breathes a sigh of relief.

They were all tired, it didn't help that every class today had a pop quiz, including P.E. No one was surprised when Kurumu failed each one. Including the P.E. quiz.

The group head out in the hallway, saying hi to friends and finding their way to their lockers through enchanted paper airplanes with teeth and glimpses of true monster forms.

Everyone is surprised when an intercom comes on, a shiver running down backs as the Headmaster speaks though, muttering "Everyone, please come to the assembly, I have an important announcement. Failure to come will result in your expulsion." _Click. _The line went dead.

Everyone looks around confused and make their way to the assembly room and settle themselves on the bleachers. A podium sits in the middle of the room, and Tsukune is surprised to see Ruby walking up to the podium at a brisk pace, worry etched in her face.

Something was off; first off the Exorcist never used the speakers. (However, he did have a habit of threatening with expulsion) That was for election results and what was for lunch. Secondly, Ruby never looked this tired before, with her figure stooped and her eyes glassy. Looking around, others are beginning to catch on that this wasn't going to be a pep rally.

After everyone finds a seat, Ruby taps the mic and begins talking.

"Some time ago, a scroll was discovered describing several worrisome things. Usually, when an artifact is discovered, it'll go into the Headmaster's private collection to be researched or given to others who will use it." She pauses here, "However, this artifact was a scroll, a scroll describing the end of the world."

A moment of silence follows, and then everyone yells and stampedes. Suddenly, a horrifyingly black and loathsome energy fills the area, and the words _"Sit down"_ are heard inside of everyone. Tsukune looks around to see none of the girls got up, but instead fixated on Ruby, probably hoping to catch her eye. They don't.

After a quiet reassembling, Ruby continues. The scroll is extremely old; having been written before modern civilization even existed. The scroll explains that very soon, monsters of unimaginable strength will awaken and raze the earth." She takes another pause. "Their power, their power is incalculable, their lust for blood is without restraint, and many will die. That much is certain. Unfortunately, we don't where they'll come from, whether it'll be from some lost dimension or from underground. We also don't know what they will be, though we have some guesses. Basically, we're in the complete dark about this situt-"

"How do you know this is true?" A belligerent male yells, getting some rumbles about that.

Ruby swallows, and answers "Because it's happened before. This scroll was written long after it had first happened; it recorded it along with the current prophecy. It's what first caused humans and ayashi to separate, as the war was so terrible that no one wanted to risk it again. However, just as it happened before, it is certain to happen again. There are trends in history that allow us to see the probably future. But this time, it's been such a long time since it's happened that now it's just a mere story, one that only a few know now. And recent events have transpired that it's already begun."

Something felt queasy in Tsukune, something wasn't sitting well. He didn't want to know what those recent events were. But others were more curious, and yells of "What, what are they?!" and "Tell us! Tell us!" fill the air.

Ruby looks in a darkened corner, and gets a signal as she faces the crowd again and begins talking:

About 8 hours from here, whole houses have disappeared, only their foundations remain. Even then, there are huge gaping holes everywhere that look like a bite was taken out of the earth, most of them being around farms and other rural areas. As well as the bites, huge roars have been recorded that have shaken the ground, and large slivers of hair have been found."

She pauses and drinks water from a plastic cup, her hand visibly shaking.

"Tectonic plates have recently begun to shift as well, causing caves that were recently sealed up to open a little more and to allow the release of it's contents. Often in the past, enemies were buried deep underground in hopes that magma would incinerate them, or they would be crushed to death by miles of rock. However, there is always a chance that not all of them were killed, and are now stirring."

Another pause.

"Please be on the lookout for a giant wolf. That's one prime suspect we know about. It's extremely dangerous, and even being in its sight will mean certain death. Please don't go wandering off into the woods alone, and travel in large groups at all times. You'll know it by the overwhelming aura, deep growls, and bright red eyes. Should you see it, _run._"

Someone grabs his hand, and sees its Yukari's. He hugs her and strokes the top of her head, getting a content sigh.

"We ask, no, we _urge_ that you tell your parents to prepare for the inevitable. What will happen in the next year could be crucial to what remains afterwards of us."

Ruby shuffles and organizes her papers, and says simply "You're dismissed."

Some run from the room crying, others yelling, but most in a dead state.

Tsukune looks at each girl, but none of them anything to say when he silently pleads for hope in some way. He clutches Yukari close and whispers encouraging words to her.

Yukari mumbles something, but Tsukune didn't catch it.

"What was that Yukari?"

"I know what ayashi they're talking about."

A sudden chill wafts though the group of 6 as they wait for her answer.

"It's name..."

Tsukune kisses Yukari's head in a show of protection.

"...Fenrir."

The name of the ayashi, the one that could cause the downfall of the world, did not make them feel better to know.

Tsukune grips Yukari a little tighter, and catches Moka's attention. Looking at her, he sees a frightened look and more stress being placed on her with the recent news. He smiles and gets one back from the pink haired vampire.

Thinking to himself, '_Ugh, and we all though Alucard was bad. If what Ruby says is true, then they really will be able to tear the world apart, not just Japan. The Headmaster must be planning something, there's no way he would sit idly by now.' _Glancing up, he tries to see if the Exorcist is around, but isn't surprised when he isn't showing himself.

~ O~

Racing, swift as the winds, a large shadow stops by a lake. It dwarfs the barn, the house; it's bigger than everything and anything.

For now at least. It had to awaken its brethren, they've been sleeping for so long they'll want to fill their palate. It grins, the bodies of several mutilated people and livestock caught in between its massive canines. A dark red splatter trails behind the beast, the smell unbearable as limbs of animals and people lay along with intestines already being pecked on by birds.

Oh? There appears to be something nearby of interest. It silently pads over to seemingly abandoned road, a miracle for something its size. It sniffs, and then its eyes glow. A rift opens, and into the darkness it goes.

There's one like it. A wolf.

But it's not a whole wolf. It appears to be something else as well.

Hmph, either way, it'll be his servant. None had resisted him before, and this one is pathetically weak as well.

Another toothy grin, and blood and carcasses fall from its red maw.

~O~

From inside his study, the Exorcist smiles widely.

"Well well well. I didn't expect it to be so soon. And to think I gave the announcement earlier today, guess I'll have Ruby set up those defenses a little earlier then planned... Ruby!" He calls out.

Ruby instantly appears and frowns, asking "What is it, Master?"

"It's here Toujou-san. The first one is here already. And it's probably going to go after ones like it, to get some underlings. Go and check that everyone is abiding by the new rules of times you are in your dorm. I don't need any students dying, it's a hassle to write letters to parents explaining how their child was killed by something so hard to catch."

The witch nods, and vanishes into the air in a burst of violet energy.

Still grinning, the Exorcist gets up from his desk and walks over to the window.

"What a large Youki. It's not even bothering to hide it." He chuckles creepily, "things will get rather interesting around here with a beast like that roaming the land unchallenged for a while longer."

The same thing is going through the mind that the large red eyes scoping out Youkai Gakuen. A large and dark lust for flesh makes the creature drool in anticipation of digging it's fangs into such soft flesh...

END CHAPTER 1

Well, this idea came to me a few days ago. I'm going to incorporate various cultures and deities, so please correct me if I am wrong. So...wait till the next chapter, where it'll be more focused on Tsukune and co! Right now, the stage is being set, the details will come gradually over time. Such as who the man with Ruby was in the beginning. Why I'm so sexy. Why Gin wasn't here.


	2. Friends Lost

A WEEK LATER

The first thing Tsukune felt when he woke up was a feeling of someone squeezing him on all sides.

Groaning, he shoves his sheets aside and almost falls. Surprised, Tsukune reflexes save him and he lands painfully on his hands and knees. Blinking, he struggles to get up, finding that the very air seems like lead.

Straining, he soon has an easier time moving. Shaking his head, he wonders who it was this time. None of the girls save Yukari could do this, and he seriously doubted that she would come all the way to the boys dorms and affect the gravity. She quit for the most part with pranks after the fight with the three Lizardmen, though she did occasionally "slip up."

After quickly eating raw egg and white rice and getting dressed, Tsukune vaults off the railing outside of his dorm in a rare show of energy.

Grinning like a fool with the wind rushing though his hair, Tsukune's enjoyment soon turns to horror as his flip leaves him head-first.

_Well crap..._

|:O:|

Moka is not a happy vampire. She woke up with the strangest feeling of being compressed, fell out of bed, and crawled around the room on her belly as she couldn't get up. Dressing on the floor was awkward, but eating tamagoyaki was just maddening. The rolls just crumbled in her chopsticks, so she had to pick each part up one by one.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, the vampire then had to endure the hardship of getting up on shaky knees. After holding onto the wall for support, Moka was soon able to move a little bit more normally, then progressed to standing slightly stooped but able to walk fast.

Moka just shakes her head as she recalls what happened just an hour ago, her morning ruined by someone's prank.

_At least I can see Tsukune. I wonder if it's like this all over the campus. He probably had an easier time then me; he is a lot stronger now..._

Moka cries in surprise as she spots Tsukune's crumpled forme face first in a small crater.

She rushes over, or tries to at least. Instead, she ambles over to the still form to hear him grumbling. She tugs on his shoulder and gets a muffled _Good morning _from him. She laughs, but even that is hard to do.

After helping him up and dusting him off, Tsukune tells her about _his _morning and how he didn't realize that it was outside of his dorm.

"So then, I kinda just jumped off the railing and tried to do a front-flip...but that didn't work out the way I planned." Tsukune says, rubbing his head in an embarrassed manner.

Moka smiles again at that, and says "Don't worry Tsukune. I had to inch myself across my room, I couldn't even get up!" They both laugh at the strangeness of the situation.

Their laughter dies away, and Tsukune looks around to see everything is quiet. No ravens, Dorians, monster pumpkins, or death worms moving or crawling among the brittle leaves and tombstones.

_How did I not notice that before? _He thinks to himself, puzzled by the strange occurrences happening today.

Tsukune scratches his head, and asks Moka "Have you seen any of the other girls?"

She shakes her head and touches a finger to her lip, a frown overcoming her face. "No, I haven't seen anyone at all in fact. Where is everyone?"

They stand there for a moment, thinking of what happened, but come up with nothing. They both sigh at the same time, catching each other by surprise.

"Well," Tsukune says, stretching his arms, "I guess we can just go on ahead. They'll know that we're at school, right?" He looks at Moka for confirmation.

She nods, and the two set off down the hushed path.

|:O:|

At the school, an eerie stillness has befallen the school. A few stragglers lurch around here and there, but for the most part, motion is rare.

Among the few are the Kokoa and Ruby, the former looking everywhere for students and faculty.

"Ruby...why are there no students here? And what's up with the air? I had trouble getting up and finding nee-san's room." Kokoa asks the witch, the duo walking side by side.

Ruby doesn't answer immediately, causing Kokoa to cough loudly. The witch snaps out her reprieve, and looks at the young vampire, lips pursed.

"Kokoa, the reason why the air is so heavy is because...the ayashi that we're looking for is nearby. It's aura...the sheer amount of it just alters the terrain around it. If you think it's bad now, just wait until you're within a mile of it. Then things start cracking."

Kokoa absorbs this, and says "Wait, what do you mea-"

"As in you."

Kokoa stares open-mouthed at the ground, then gathers herself and scoffs.

"Humph, like one ayashi could do that by itself. Even Alucard couldn't do this" And she waves her hand in the air around her.

Ruby smiles sadly and says vaguely "There are some a lot older and more powerful than Alucard..."

Put off, Kokoa mutters "Thanks." and runs off in search of her sister.

Ruby stares after the slowly vanishing vampire, and turns to expectantly see the Headmaster leering at her.

"Ruby, tell all the remaining students who haven't given up moving to go home. There's no point in school when 93% of the attendance is not here. The teachers and I are to have a meeting as well in three hours to discuss options concerning the school's immediate future. That is all."

With that, he vanishes around the corner and leaves Ruby standing there rubbing her head.

|:O:|

Tsukune and Moka have just arrived at school when Moka cries out. Tsukune looks at Moka to see Kokoa tugging hard on the rosary, the metal links straining.

"No! Kokoa, stop! Please don't tear the ro-"

"Quiet you! You're only in the way of me meeting nee-san!" She says, grunting as she struggles.

She doesn't notice the shadow looming over her, though she pauses when Moka gets quiet suddenly.

She turns around slowly as something a presence alien to her yet strangely familiar overcomes her.

"Eh?" was all she could say as she was picked up and tossed aside.

She crashes into a wall, making a small cracked indent as she falls stunned from the impact.

Everyone freezes, and then Tsukune hastily apologizes. Kokoa dusts herself off, and starts yelling at Tsukune.

Moka, meanwhile, slowly gets up and stares at Tsukune.

_"Why would he do that? Tsukune never gets rough with any of us, though Ruby would prefer it otherwise..."_

A voice from within answers.

_"Moka, you know he hasn't fully recovered from Alucard. Almost dying several times, facing off against the Shuzen family thinking his friends were dead, having to save all of Tokyo from being razed by Alucard that was under Gyokuro's with you as a hostage...as well as becoming...whatever he was..._

Frowning at the last part, Moka focuses on her angry sister and shocked friend.

They hear the _Click _of the intercom coming on, and listen as Ruby says "All students, please report back to your dorms as soon as possible. There will be no school today due to the lack of students and the conditions of the environment."

Tsukune gazes at the intercom, and Moka says "Ruby sounds a lot more tired than usual, don't you think?"

Kokoa nods, and replies "Yeah, I was talking to her earlier, and she kept spacing out. Maybe the air has an effect on witches?"

"That, or she knows what's going to happen, and she's doing all she can to prevent it." Tsukune suddenly says, surprising everyone.

"How did you get to that conclusion, child abuser?" Kokoa says, hands on hips.

"Because Ruby's smart, and being the Headmaster's Aide she's in the know." He replied simply, "And I bet Exorcist is having her run around like a dog doing errands. She probably isn't getting much sleep either; she's so worried about the youkai..."

"Don't you ever say anything happy you two? I swear, it's like being in a bad soap opera with you guys!" Kokoa says, throwing her hands up in the air and leaving the two in a cloud of mutterings. Her bat squeaks after her, making sure to whap Tsukune on the head en route to Kokoa's head.

They hear groaning moments after coming from over to their right, and they see their friends struggling to move at all.

"Crap! Kurumu, Yukari, Mizore, you guys! What are you doing?" Tsukune shouts, panic flooding his previously slow brain with vitality.

"We didn't see you guys at the usual spot, so we figured that you went on ahead. How are you even able to stand?" Yukari says, her witch hat bent at an odd angle.

"Bleh, you don't even want to hear how hard it was showering on the ground." Kurumu says, "I mean, I've done it with broken wings (Moka scratches her head), and a busted tail, but never...unable to move." She fidgets with her hair, trying to get it to rise from its drooped position.

They all turn to Mizore for her thoughts.

She shrugs, and says "I think it's kinda fun. Now I have an excuse to slide on my stomach like a penguin all day long."

Everyone watches as the yuki-onna breathes out chilly air, freezing the ground beneath her and pushing herself forward.

Soon enough, Mizore begins to slide about the place, all the while going "Wheeeeeeee..." nonchalantly.

Everyone cracks a smile, then begin to laugh as they watch their friend imitate a bird.

"We gotta get her a tux." Yukari says, as Mizore slips by.

"You know Tsukune, sliding around isn't the only think you can do on ice." Mizore says as she flips herself over and tugs up her skirt, revealing the often revealed purple striped panties.

She watches as a jet of blood squirts onto the ice, and gets a "Hey!" from Kurumu and Moka. "It'll be extra romantic" She says with a sly grin.

"Humph. Anyway, onto more important matters," Kurumu says, "Why are you two able to stand? Barely anyone else was able to, and they were the teachers."

"It's probably because of their raw strength, simply put, desu." Yukari says, poking down Mizore's skirt as she slides past. "Their bodies were probably able to acclimate to the increased gravity quicker than ours, so we'll be able to stand soon." She puts her face on the ground and groans. "But I don't know for certain what's causing it. There's a chance that it's the ayashi that Ruby warned us about yesterday, and if that's true, then we really do have a problem on our hands."

A short silence follows, and Tsukune thinks _Those are happening a lot more often._

"So, you guys heard the announcement, right? No school today, though if the air doesn't go back to normal, I don't know when it'll open again." Tsukune says, much to the displeasure of the girls.

"Aww! Are you telling me that I crawled here for nothing? Argh, so much time I wasted when I could've been making cookies for you!" Kurumu exclaims, distress becoming more and more apparent.

Tsukune panics as the ground beneath him freezes, rooting him to the spot. Mizore then slides in-between his legs, and states in a monotone voice "It probably also has to do with the very large dog like thing running about."

While Tsukune continues to panic, Yukari sharply asks "The dog?! Like the one Ruby described?! Big and silvery?!" Her breath quickens, and a cold shiver racks her body.

Kurumu crawls over and smacks Yukari on the head, loudly saying "It won't do anything to get all worked up over it! Calm down, you flat-chested worry-wart!"

Yukari winces, and replies "Ah, sorry. My heart has been hurting all morning, it's been causing me some stress, desu..."

"Eh, now that you talk about it, my chest has been hurting also." Kurumu says, clutching her XXXL endorsements.

Mizore ignores the two whimpering girls, and turns to the two vampires.

"Yeah, it's just the one Ruby was describing. Had big teeth, really big, but I couldn't actually hear anything. You'd expect something that large to be causing tremors..." She drifts off into her own world, prompting Tsukune to ask "Mizore, how big was it?"

She snaps back from her day-dream and says "I don't know. He seemed to be about the size of a large building. For a moment, I couldn't even see his body; all I saw were his legs." She shakes her periwinkle head. "Maybe he's an illusionist. There's no way a monster could be that big. He'd cause an earthquake he time he's step. We'd hear him from a dozen prefectures away."

Not wanting anyone to dwell on it, Tsukune loudly says "Alright, Moka: You pick up Yukari, I'll get Kurumu. We're taking you guys to your dorms; I don't think any of us want to run into Fenrir in this state. Mizore, you fine with...doing you penguin thing?"

Mizore nods, and scoots away into the forest with a wave.

Thinking to himself, Tsukune wonders about Yukari's previous question. What _was_ causing this atmosphere? In his three years here, this had never happened. Nothing came close to this oppressiveness, this power, this sense of being weak. It was like the very earth itself was readying itself to attack them. Eh, he can't do anything right now. No use in getting grey hairs, right?

His thought are punctuated by a succubus's attempts to strengthen the bond between them through bodily contact. Or suffocation. It depended on the person you were asking.

"MMMMF! MMMMMMF!"

"Shhh, Tsukune. If you're too loud, you'll attract Moka's attention." Kurumu says, turning to look at the exasperated vampire with the witch, who currently is playing "Climb the Mountain" using the biggest hand holds available.

|:O:|

Gliding through the frosted leaves and chilled tombstones, Mizore is enjoying herself as much as a yuki-onna could in the situation; Doing donuts while sliding was quite enjoyable, as one might find.

Playing with a strange skull, Mizore tosses it into the air and creates a slide for it as it falls back down, testing how fast her reflexes were with the increased gravity.

A mumble cuts through her bliss, and her mind instantly shifts to wariness.

Slowing herself to a stop, Mizore listens for another sound.

She wasn't expecting anything, as she had noticed that all the fauna had vanished without a trace; Probably due to the giant wolf.

The mumble comes again, and Mizore can hear words being pronounced.

Eyes narrowing, Mizore tries to stand but finds she still can't.

Crawling on her hands and knees is feasible though.

A rather large tombstone was hiding the source of the sound, she was sure of it.

Adrenaline building up in her, Mizore quickly scrambles around the decrepit tombstone to see Kokoa.

Stunned, Mizore quickly notices the young vampire's expression.

Fear.

Complete and utter fear.

Not one to ask questions, Mizore follows Kokoa's gaze and sees a shadow off in the distance.

It's what she saw before, that wolf.

A tremor rumbles beneath them, and Mizore's body is racked by dread.

Shrugging off the bodily reactions, Mizore quietly and slowly grabs Kokoa's hand. She slowly sets down the trembling vampire and forms a sled out of ice, beginning to push the petrified vampire.

She knew the beast could see them. She knew it was watching them. Why it wasn't coming closer when it was in plain sight made no sense to her, but she was grateful that it wasn't.

Not looking back, Mizore's mood has shut off, save for thoughts about the situation.

It was so large! It was huge!

Why was it here?

When would it first strike, and who would it be?!

What she saw earlier must have been its alternate forme. It had to have been. That was minute to what it was now. It's teeth had to have been...she really didn't know!

Another tremble fills the air, and a buzzing overtakes her numbed mind.

What was that sound? It's like a bunch of bees.

Suddenly a roar cleaves her world apart, and everything is sent into a temporary state of chaos.

She loses her grip on Kokoa, and soon finds herself beyond help.

Blasted with bits of dirt, stone, and bones, it's as if a twister ripped through and split the very ground.

Screaming, the yuki-onna lands awkwardly on her head against an untouched tombstone.

Upside down and dazed, Mizore feels the pressure continue to grow as well as the buzzing.

A large group of trees block her vision, but she can still see a forme approaching.

The pressure becomes unbearable; her ears are filled with a shrieking now, rendering her unable to do much at all.

Her very being is being compressed, she feels her body start to tighten painfully much like a balloon would: ready to burst at any moment.

She screams again: her ribs are on fire. They must have fractured; her stomach feels as if a dozen shards just rocketed into her.

Tears stream down her face from the pain, she tries to numb it with her breath and only has partial success.

_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

_Have to move._

_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

_Have to move._

_EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE_

The shrieking turns to full out reverberations, her head being splintered.

Struggling to right herself, Mizore clutches her broken ribs and staggers upward, only to come crashing down.

Lying there, she watches as Kokoa stands back up slowly and look upwards. She freezes again.

_EIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEI_

_Shit, not again..._

_EIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEIEI_

A growing pain soon accompanies the organic fire inside of here; And a sense of warmth. Blood vessels must be bursting. A tingling sensation covers Mizore, and she watches as her skin splits and wrinkles, blood pouring out.

She raises an arm, but quickly finds that exhausting. Struggling, she croaks out "Kokoa..." before dust flies into her mouth.

Her mind soon turns black, a shroud of helplessness overcoming her.

A roar blasts everything apart, and Mizore feels her body jerked violently.

|:O:|

"Ruby!" Moka yells as the witch bursts back to where they were in an explosion of violet.

Panting, and bleeding from the ears and nose, Ruby holds a dirtied Kokoa.

Kou pops out and circles his master, nudging her hopefully.

"I think she's fainted from a combination of terror and physical strain." The witch says, grimacing as her body making a painful _POP_ as it readjusts itself.

"What happened!" Moka asks, grabbing Ruby before she could collapse.

Recovering, Ruby replies "The amount of force there was absolutely incredible; I've never felt such a thing before. The very air was in turmoil, everything in the area was in the air and flying around." She shakes her head, and Tsukune reaches over to brush off the dirt and dust.

Kokoa's eyes snap open, and she looks around, worry clouding her face.

"Mizore, where is she!"

Everyone blanches, and Yukari asks "Why?! Was Mizore with you?"

Kokoa nods and leaps from Ruby's arms, only to cry out in pain as her ankle gives out.

"Kokoa, you've broken your ankle, as you can see. Your eyes and internal organs have also taken a beating, and internal bleeding is probably occurring as well. You'll need to go to the hospital right now." Ruby says, taking on a more professional attitude.

"No! Mizore was there, and she tried to help me out, but I was too scared!" She falls back down, tears running trails through her dusted face. "She tried to help, but I was too weak, I couldn't move! And now she's dead! SHE'S DEAD!" Kokoa punches the ground, making a grapefruit sized hole in the stone.

The feeling of their hearts being torn away descends upon everyone present, just the very thought of their friend dying was terrible. But if what Kokoa said was true, the guilt inside of her must be enormous...

Tsukune slowly reaches out to Kokoa, only to have his hand bitten viciously. Skin is scraped off, and bone is revealed. Everyone gasps at the brutal act, and Ruby raises her wand. Tsukune's hand is made whole again, but blood has splattered Tsukune and Kokoa.

Another roar splits the ground off in the distance. Huge parts of trees follow soon after, a dark spray.

Everyone looks towards it, each thinking something different, all related to the threat that just made itself known.

Moka shushes Kokoa, and wipes away Tsukune's blood (and secretly licking it), cradling the moaning sister.

Ruby gently gathers Kokoa into her arms and explodes into a ball of violet again. Kurumu, Yukari, and Moka all slowly wander away in a daze, shock and confusion on their faces.

However, anger has become the lifeline for Tsukune, his guiding force. Unlike his friends, Tsukune has a plan of action.

To find the Headmaster, and see what he can do. He sets off, unsure of what exactly he is doing, but nevertheless driven by a passion to find an answer.

|:O:|

Having slept all day, Morioka Gin has just woken up to several large commotions. Grumbling about the lack of respect graduates get, he swings his legs off the bed and regains his senses.

A glow pushes its way through his murky vision, and Gin sees the sign out the window: _L'auberge pour les Monstres._

It was a cheesy motel, but it was alright. They had unrestricted wifi as well, which was nice as it could allow for said activities at night, should he not be taking photos in the local village of women.

Grinning, Gin goes about his regular routine: taking a shower, uploading said pictures, snarling in the mirror, looking at the uploaded pictures with a new eye, working out, getting calls from ladies he had promised to call back. The usual for a playboy such as himself.

There had been an increase in the gravity, however, and it had hindered him when he was running across roofs. Heck, he could barely run at all, and only for a short distance. Not please with the shortage of pictures, Gin had been asking around what the dealio was. No one had an answer, save for an old woman who kept saying the old thing over and over:

"They are coming! They are all here! It's started again! You watch out, boy! There's one looking for you right now, I know it! Don't listen to it, just leave right now. Don't come back! They are coming!"

The lady wouldn't say anything else, not when Gin asked who "they" were, and just sprinkled incense on him when he asked anything else.

Going to his construction job that had been set up, Gin worked for several hours arguing with other workers on the best types of women and their best features. Lolicons, it seems, were everywhere. And Gin hated every one of them.

Going to the local bar afterwards, Gin orders a beer and surveys the newcomers. Not much of a catch today. Maybe one or two. Maybe.

Finishing his beer, Gin makes his way out the bar, and wanders over to a hill and pulls out a map. Looking at it, the map shows the youkai of every organism within a 5 mile radius. It can even tell what gender it is, though there are some cases when it can't; Gin tends to stay away from those. Recently though, it seems to have stopped working. The entire map is a swirling black, and Gin can't see anything.

"Pfft. It's what I get for dealing with an idiot. I'm gunna have to have a talk with her when I get back." He says, a foul mood clouding his mind. He stuffs the map back inside angrily. The monster world wasn't the most reliable.

He breathes deeply, calming himself momentarily. A loud buzzing comes from his pocket, interrupting his short-lived serenity.

Seeing the number, he frowns and slowly puts it next to his ear.

"H-Hey boss. What's up?" He says shakily.

A chuckle comes from the other speaker, and a gruff voice says "How's it going? Well, I guess I've been a little impatient, if you want to know. Been waitin' for someone to get sommin for me, ya' hear?"

Gin nods, and replies "Oh, yeah! Listen, I'm about there, so I can get the scroll for you. And the pick, if I can get it."

"Yeah, get the pick if you can. But that scroll is key, you understand? Without, we're all done, and it'll be your head they go after first, so don't mess up, got it?" The last words are uttered with a primal vengeance, getting a shiver from Gin.

The line clicks dead, and Gin places it down, a little paler than before.

He didn't exactly like the life he lived, but it had it's benefits. Now he was paid to do what he did best: spy.

It wasn't exactly honest work either, but it put bread on the table and kept the holes in the roof from getting any bigger, so in the end, did it matter?

But now, it was getting a little tougher. Something that might be life-threatening: Break into Youkai Gakuen and steal some great scroll of destiny and some spike that was a weapon of some sorts.

Shuddering, Gin didn't dwell on the thought of his friends finding him in the act of stealing from their school. Or having the Headmaster come down on him. Ugh, that wouldn't end well for anyone.

Deciding it was late enough, Gin set off to his favorite run, though thanks to the gravity, his daily jog.

Getting away from the buttery yellow lights of the town, Gin trots down a somewhat hidden path made by the wildlife. Taking in the fresh air and pretty sunset, the wolf finds himself enjoying time by himself, without a camera or phone-calls from crazed ex-bitches. Dang they were persistent. He rubs a scar from a recent encounter that he got in Walmart. 100% bitches, every one of them.

The sun fades behind the mountain, and the stars shine their way out of the darkness, their twinkling catching Gin's attention.

_Dang I'm gettin' soft. I gotta maul someone soon, or else I'll turn into a Tsukune..._

Those were the last words he was thinking before he was brought to his knees by a spike.

Or he thought it was a spike. His hand shot to his head, feeling for the shaft the was causing him so much pain. But there was nothing there, his skin felt normal.

His mind was up in flames, he couldn't process anything. He yelped, yowled, and yipped as the pain just wouldn't leave.

This continued for about 3 minutes, and the pain didn't recede at all during that. After it had gone, a deep voice vibrated within.

_Hello, my new servant_

Gin whirled around, searching for the voice, but like the spike, didn't find anything.

Panicking, Gin starts sprinting as fast as he can, managing to ignore the weight of the air for a second or two; the voice continues.

_Run all you want, you pathetic mutt. You can't escape my grip now. In fact, I'll recommend that you enjoy your free will for a while longer, it'll be a wistful dream in a few minutes._

Out of breath, Gin stops and bends over, hands on knees.

_Well let's see...your name is Gin. Smart and wily. Not very faithful. Very fast. Able to improvise well._

_..._

_You'll make a great pet. You should be honored that I'm even allowing myself to talk to trash like you. _

"No one controls me! Where are you?!" Gin yells into the night, the silence as discernible as the being who was contacting him.

_I am not anywhere close to you, though I could reach in you a matter of seconds should I decide to kill you. And that's great, keep thinking you're not controllable. How's that philosophy been treating you so far with your job?_

Gin opens his mouth, but nausea sweeps over him, forcing him to close it just as quickly.

_Just stop with your excuses. You gave up on yourself months ago, so don't bother telling me about your 'thoughts.' Any last words before you lose your will completely?_

At a loss of words, Gin just spreads hi arms wide open and asks "Why?"

A brief silence follows, and he gets a short reply:

_To assist in the finding of my brothers and sisters._

Falling into an abyss with a sense of failure, Gin reflects on his times with his friends at Youkai. How fun everything was. The friends he had. The small world worries he possessed. Now...he was someone's puppet. No, the thing was right. He _had _been somebody's servant for a while now. Is this how he'd die?

This sucks. All of it does. None of that crap mattered. This was it, he was sure of it.

...

_Kill_

_..._

LATER

A lone wolf howled on a cliff, overlooking a fast and dangerous river.

The trademark red hair-band was, usually clean and vibrant, was now dirty and blood soaked. Having eaten most of the youkai in the village, it's burning ruins lay in the valley beneath him, the river full of bodies.

A sadistic growl rumbles from the wolf, and a blood soaked maw grins.

Off in the distance was its destination: Youkai Academy.

By the time it reached it, its hunger would need to be sated, and it knew the perfect spot as well...

Another howl is sent into the air, this time it resonates loneliness and regret. It shakes it's bloodied and matted fur, and wanders off into the forest, a mind driven by anger and self-loathing.

END CHAPTER 2

Well, as you can see, I took some creative ideas and played around with them. A little gruesome in some parts, it ain't rated M for nothing! Stay pretty, and wait for Chapter 3! I'll try to make it as interesting as this one, if not more. Is Mizore dead? What's going to happen with Gin? Right now, I don't know. Let's see what I write!


End file.
